The Lapindo Hot Mud Flow is Now 5 Years Old

On 28 May 2006, PT Lapindo Brantas targeted Gas in the Brantas area, East Java, by drilling a borehole well.

In the first stage of drilling the drill string first went through a thick clay seam, then sands, shales, volcanic debris and finally into permeable carbonate rocks. At this stage the borehole was surrounded by a Protective Steel Casing to help stabilise it.

One day later, a second stage of drilling began and the drill string went deeper to about 2,834 meter, this time without a Protective Steel Casing, after which water, steam and a small amount of Gas erupted at a location about 200 meter Southwest of the Well.

In spite of the above, PT Lapindo Brantas and some foreign geological experts said in various scientific meetings that the Hot Mud Flow was caused by an earthquake that hit Yogjakarta on 27 May 2006. However, the company agreed to pay compensation.

Today, the Mud Flow is slowing down five years after it swallowed 12 villages, 30 factories, dozens of shops and a busy highway near the country's second largest city of Surabaya. Twelve people have been killed, but many more lives have been wrecked. Some 40,000 people have been forced out of their homes by the inexorable ooze.

Many of the victims said they still have not been paid all of the compensation they were promised five years ago by PT Lapindo Brantas, a company part of the business empire controlled by the family of Golkar Party Chief Aburizal Bakrie.

For that reason, the people of Sidoarjo recently protested against the plan by PT Lapindo Brantas to drill new Gas well in the area.

Considering that until now we still do not know when will the Lapindo Hot Mud will stop flowing, I hope that the authorities would not allow new drilling operations in the area. 


Sources :
-  Sidoarjo mud flow (Wikipedia)
-  Five years on, Indonesia's mud volcano still erupting (AsiaOne News)
-  Warga Tolak Pengeboran Baru Lapindo (Media Indonesia)

Lapindo Mudflow Tragedy

Four years ago, PT. Lapindo Brantas failed to follow standard procedure for pumping natural gas in Sidoarjo, East Java, causing a never ending hot mud flow that inundated many buildings and commercial lands in the neigbouring area.

Now, the tragedy  has been regarded as a mere natural disaster and responsibility of PT. Lapindo Brantas and its owner have been transfered to the government.

According to Kompas (below) the government of East Java is planning to turn Mudflow site into a Tourist site, for which purpose the amount of 273 Billion Rupiah in fund has been allocated.

Rp273 Billion for Lapindo Tourist Site Allocated

Sabtu, 29 Mei 2010 | 06:01 WIB

 SURABAYA, KOMPAS.com - The government has set aside  Rp273 billion in funds to develop a geological tourist object near the Lapindo mudflow site in Sidoarjo district, East Java, an official said. 
 
"The government through the maritime affairs and fisheries ministry has set aside Rp273 billion in funds to develop Lapindo geological tourist site," East Java Governor Soekarwo said here on Friday.
  
The 83-hectare geological tourist object would be located north of the mudflow site, he said adding: "President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited the location some time ago."
  
"The DED (detailed engineering design) of the project will be available in 2011. The project is likely to be started this year," he said.
  
Asked to comment on the land subsidence around the mudflow site, he said there was nothing to worry about it.
  
"The land subsidence can be handled if new embankments are not built. The emergence of new mudflow spots and land subsidence results from the construction of new embankments which add to another burden," he said quoting geologists of the Surabaya-based Sepuluh November Institute of Technology (ITS) and Airlangga University (Unair).
 
To date, there were 180 thousand mudflow spots, including 30 thousand to 50 thousand new ones, he said. The mudflow first began from a crack near an exploratory gas well owned by PT Lapindo Brantas on May 29, 2006. It soon expanded into a mud lake, swallowing houses, factories and schools, leaving more than 15,000 people homeless.

Bank Century for Lapindo Deal

Sri Mulyani's decision to resign from her job as Minister of Finance have made certain people very happy.

For Sri Mulyani, it means that she'll be able to take a prestigious position as Managing Director of the World Bank, and get away from politicians at the Parliament (DPR) who have been blaming her for the mysterious  6,7 Trillion Rupiah Bank Century Bailout.

For President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) and his Democrat Party, it means that it will calm down the protests in DPR against the Bank Century case, therefore regaining supports from political parties that formed the coalition government.

For SBY's political ally i.e. the Golkar Party, it means that no one will bother the businesses of its Chairman i.e. Aburizal Bakrie, especially PT Lapindo that has been responsible for the disastrous never ending flow of Hot Mud at Sidoardjo, East Java.
Golkar was very happy that they supported the creation of a Joint Secretariat for the Coalition and Bakrie became its Chief Executive Officer only two days after Sri Mulyani's resignation.

Considering that the Coalition Government also includes two political parties i.e. PKS and PPP, that supported DPR's Inquiry on the Bank Century case, I hope that the above political deal would not stop the investigation of the Bank Century case by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), and the fact finding efforts on the Lapindo Mud Flow.

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- Kompas : Life in Indonesia after Sri Mulyani moves to WB
- The Jakarta Globe : Reshuffle Hands Bakrie Leading Coalition Post